Bangladeshi photographer Shadman conferred with global honour

Sun Online Desk
23rd April, 2017 07:39:55

World Press Photo Foundation (WPPF) has conferred young Bangladeshi photographer Shadman Shahid with its 'Joop Swart Masterclass' honour, one of most prestigious global photographic awards.

"The World Press Photo Foundation is pleased to announce the names of the 12 young photographers (for the Joop Swart Masterclass' honour)," the global photojournalists forum said yesterday (Saturday) naming Shadman as the lone Bangladeshi for the award.

Shadman and the 11 others would now take part in the 24th edition of the Joop Swart Masterclass ceremony in Amsterdam later this year.

According to WPPF, more known as the World Press Photo, the annual Joop Swart Masterclass competition aims at finding out "the world's "most talented emerging visual journalists and is designed to support and enhance diversity in visual journalism".

The announcement was made at the World Press Photo Festival in Amsterdam while the forum selected the 12 winners from 187 competitors named in the initial selection process.

Shadman earlier received several international awards with one in last year by Poland-based Grand Prix Photo, which selected him as one of the 10 finalists for its worldwide annual competition.

A panel of world's top photojournalists and experts selects the recipients of the World Press Photo's Joop Swart Masterclass honour.

Of the 11 other winners of the honour this year, seven were women and five men.

They are Juanita Escobar of Colombia, Kevin Faingnaert of Belgium, Rahima Gambo of Nigeria, Hicham Gardaf of Morocco, Mojgan Ghanbari of Iran, Heba Khamis of Egypt, Alejandro Kirchuk of Argentina, Adriane Ohanesian of the USA, Daro Sulakauri of Georgia, Rebecka Uhlin of Sweden and Michael Vince Kim of the USA.

Shadman was nominated for the Joop Swart Masterclass in 2014 and 2015 and was awarded the third prize in the emerging Asian photographer category in the Dali Photo Festival in China in 2015.

"The WPPF nominated me twice before . .

. but finally I got the honour this time, I'm really very happy," Shadman said.

He said works of famous artist and fashion designer late Shahrukh Shahid, who happened to be his paternal uncle, widely inspired him to explore the arena of photography.

Since 1994, the Joop Swart Masterclass has brought together some of the finest young photographers from around world, and leading professionals in the fields of documentary photography and photojournalism.

The World Press Photo said the event offers a focused, intimate and reflective learning experience to young photographers, aiming to foster their intellectual, artistic and professional growth.